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MOUNTAINTOP BUSINESS EXECUTIVE FELLOWSHIP
Leadership Does Not Have to Be Lonely.
A 14 week Fellowship for purpose driven founders, executives, and senior business leaders navigating growth, complexity, and leadership in a rapidly changing world.
The higher the stakes, the fewer spaces leaders have to step back, think honestly, challenge their assumptions, and learn alongside people who understand the responsibility they carry.
The Mountaintop Business Executive Fellowship creates that space.
Delivered in partnership with the NYU Stern Initiative on Purpose and Flourishing, the Fellowship combines virtual leadership development, Peer Pods, executive coaching, an international community of business leaders, and a one week immersive Leadership Institute at NYU Stern in New York City.
Fellowship Duration: January 18 to April 30, 2027 I In-Person Leadership Institute at NYU Stern: March 13 to 20, 2027
WHY OUR FELLOWSHIP
The higher the stakes, the more complex the decisions.
As businesses grow, leadership changes with them. Systems that once worked begin to strain. Decisions carry greater consequences. More people depend on your judgment. Sustaining culture becomes harder, priorities compete for attention, and the path forward is rarely obvious.
At the same time, artificial intelligence and emerging technologies are reshaping how organizations work, make decisions, and create value. Yet the most important parts of leadership remain deeply human: judgment, trust, self awareness, relationships, courage, and the ability to stay grounded in purpose while navigating change.
That is why the Business Executive Fellowship is built around a simple belief: Business growth and leadership growth must happen together.
The Fellowship creates space for leaders to step back from the day to day, examine how they lead, strengthen the organizations around them, and learn from NYU faculty, Fortune 500 executives, and peers who understand the responsibility they carry.
The Fellowship is not simply about learning more. It is about creating the space, perspective, and community leaders need to see more clearly, lead more intentionally, and grow their organizations without losing sight of the purpose behind them.
WHAT YOU GAIN
The Business Executive Fellowship is designed to strengthen both the leader and the organization they lead.
Stronger Leadership Judgment: Develop greater capacity to navigate growth, uncertainty, competing priorities, organizational change, and decisions without simple answers.
Greater Self Awareness: Understand your leadership patterns, strengths, blind spots, values, and how your choices influence the people and systems around you.
Practical Leadership Tools: Gain frameworks and approaches that you can apply directly to the leadership and business challenges you are navigating today.
A Trusted Global Community: Build relationships with purpose driven business leaders bringing different industries, markets, cultures, and perspectives to the Fellowship.
A Clearer Path Forward: Create space to translate what you learn into practical priorities for your leadership and your organization.
Recognized Credentials: Fellows who successfully complete the program receive a certificate jointly issued by Mountaintop International and the NYU Stern Initiative on Purpose and Flourishing.
To learn more, see the agenda and speaker list from our 2026 Business Executive Fellowship Leadership Institute at NYU.
WHY MOUNTAINTOP
Leadership Development Rooted in Human Infrastructure
Mountaintop focuses on strengthening the human capabilities, relationships, mindsets, and environments that help leaders and institutions thrive.
Learning That Goes Beyond the Classroom: The Fellowship combines expert learning with reflection, Peer Pods, executive coaching, real leadership challenges, and experiential learning.
Deep Experience Developing Leaders: Mountaintop has designed and delivered transformational leadership programs for leaders across 37 countries, working with institutions including the Harvard Edmond & Lily Safra Center for Ethics, United States International University-Africa, and the U.S. State Department. Fellows have learned directly from 100+ world class experts, including faculty at Harvard Business School, Harvard Kennedy School, and the NYU Stern Initiative on Purpose and Flourishing, Fortune 500 executives, award-winning social entrepreneurs, former Cabinet ministers and mayors, and Nobel Peace Prize laureates such as Dr. Shirin Ebadi.
See a list of Mountaintop speakers, faculty, and coaches here.
Ongoing Support: All alumni receive access to the:
1. Mountaintop Advisors Program: 80+ world-class experts across business, venture, capital, and management whom they can meet with 1:1 at any time;
2. Peak Perspectives Speaker Series: A monthly Q&A with some of the world’s most remarkable leaders — from Nobel Laureates to founders of billion dollar companies;
3. Regular online skill-building sessions on everything from building pitch decks to using AI to strengthening team culture.
THE FELLOWSHIP JOURNEY
PHASE 1: INTRODUCTION - JANUARY 18 to MARCH 10, 2027
Build the Foundation
The Fellowship begins with virtual sessions that help Fellows reflect on their leadership, identify the questions they want to explore, and build relationships with the community they are joining. Through asynchronous learning, facilitator led workshops, peer discussions, and intentional relationship building, Fellows begin examining the leadership and organizational challenges they want to work on throughout the Fellowship.
The Introduction phase includes:
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Asynchronous Learning Modules: Flexible learning experiences that introduce core ideas and prepare Fellows for deeper discussion and application.
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Facilitator Led Workshops: Interactive online sessions focused on leadership, decision making, organizational growth, and leading through complexity.
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Peer Discussions: Structured online conversations where Fellows exchange perspectives, test assumptions, and learn from leaders across different industries and contexts.
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Relationship Building: Intentional opportunities to build trust, connection, and community across the cohort before meeting in person.
During virtual program weeks, Fellows should plan for two hours of structured engagement per week. By the time Fellows arrive in New York, they will have stronger relationships, clearer questions, and a deeper understanding of what they want to explore.
PHASE 2: IMMERSION - MARCH 13 to MARCH 20, 2027 | NEW YORK CITY
Step Away From the Day to Day
The Immersion phase brings the cohort together for the in person Leadership Institute at NYU Stern.
This is the most concentrated part of the Fellowship, creating space for Fellows to step away from daily responsibilities and focus deeply on their leadership, organizations, and relationships with one another.
The Leadership Institute includes:
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Experiential Workshops
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Executive Coaching
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Peer Learning and Case Discussions
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Leadership Reflection
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Company Site Visits (for example, the 2026 cohort visited SnapChat’s headquarters)
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Action Planning
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Participation in the NYU Stern Initiative on Purpose and Flourishing Annual Convening (agenda from March 2026)
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Community and Cohort Experiences across New York City
The Immersion phase gives Fellows the opportunity to examine assumptions, receive feedback, practice new approaches, and learn alongside leaders who understand the complexity and responsibility of leading organizations.
To learn more, see the agenda and speaker list from our 2026 Business Executive Fellowship Leadership Institute at NYU.
PHASE 3: INTEGRATION - MARCH 21 to APRIL 30, 2027
Turn Insight Into Action
The Fellowship continues beyond the Leadership Institute.
The Integration phase helps Fellows translate what they have learned into meaningful changes in their leadership and organizations. Fellows return to the questions, challenges, and priorities they identified earlier in the Fellowship and determine what they want to carry forward.
The Integration phase includes:
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Action Plan Coaching
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Individual support to refine priorities, identify next steps, and translate learning into action.
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Leadership Journal
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A structured space for continued reflection, helping Fellows capture insights, decisions, patterns, and commitments throughout the Fellowship.
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Peer Retreats
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Dedicated opportunities to reconnect with peers, share progress, reflect on challenges, and continue learning from one another.
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Access to the Mountaintop Advisors Program, experienced leaders across business and management who can offer perspective, guidance, and support in 1:1 sessions to help Fellows put their learning into practice.
By the end of the Fellowship, Fellows leave with more than new knowledge. They leave with greater clarity about how they want to lead, what they want to change, and how they will continue growing beyond the program.
During virtual program weeks, Fellows should plan for two hours of structured engagement per week.
Build the foundation. Deepen the experience. Put learning into practice.
THE FELLOWSHIP CURRICULUM
Building the Human Infrastructure of Leadership
At Mountaintop, we believe strong organizations are built on strong human
infrastructure.
Organizations need strategy, technology, capital, and systems to grow.
But they also depend on something less visible and equally essential: the
human capacity to lead well.
In an age of artificial intelligence, the Fellowship invests in the human intelligence organizations that still depend on: judgment, relationships, self awareness, adaptability, and the ability to lead through complexity.
Mountaintop's Human Infrastructure model focuses on six interconnected assets: abilities, relationships, mindsets, activities, places, and power. Together, they shape how leaders make decisions, build trust, navigate complexity, create opportunity, and strengthen the institutions around them.
The Business Executive Fellowship brings this model into the realities of executive leadership through four interconnected dimensions.
Lead Yourself: Strengthen the leader behind the role.
Leadership begins with the ability to understand yourself and act with
intention.
Examine your values, leadership patterns, strengths, blind spots, and
responses under pressure. Strengthen the abilities and mindsets that shape
how you make decisions, respond to uncertainty, and influence the people
around you. The goal is not simply greater self awareness. It is greater
clarity about how you want to lead.
Lead People: Build the relationships that make organizations stronger.
Leadership is deeply relational.
Strengthen how you build trust, delegate, give feedback, develop others,
navigate difficult conversations, shape culture, and create accountability.
Explore how relationships and power influence organizations, and how
leaders can create environments where people have the clarity, agency,
and support they need to contribute and grow.
Through Peer Pods and the broader cohort, Fellows also build trusted
relationships that challenge assumptions, expand perspective, and
become part of their human infrastructure beyond the Fellowship.
Lead the Business: Build an organization that can grow beyond you.
Strong leadership must translate into stronger institutions.
Strengthen your ability to think strategically, make better decisions,
understand organizational dynamics, build effective systems, and
use AI and emerging technology thoughtfully.
Explore how the right activities, structures, and environments can help
an organization grow without becoming overly dependent on any
one leader.
Lead Through Complexity: Lead with clarity when there is no simple
answer.
The most consequential leadership challenges rarely come with obvious
solutions.
Develop the judgment to navigate growth, uncertainty, competing priorities,
organizational change, technological disruption, and decisions where
multiple interests must be balanced.
Leading through complexity requires every dimension of human infrastructure: how you think, who you trust, how you act, the environments you create, and how you exercise power.
WHAT OUR FELLOWS SAY
“This was a life-changing experience, from the incredible people I met to the world-class content from NYU Stern. It’s one of the most valuable experiences I’ve had in my life, and I would 100% recommend it to anyone who has the opportunity.”
Salomon Vasquez Sanchez, 2026 Mountaintop Business Executive Fellow, Founder, Tòmalo (Bogota, Colombia)
ADMISSIONS
For our second cohort, Mountaintop is looking for business leaders who are ready to grow their companies with purpose and continue growing as leaders themselves.
We are building a diverse, international cohort of leaders who bring significant responsibility, curiosity, and a willingness to learn from one another.
Eligibility
The Business Executive Fellowship is designed for leaders carrying meaningful responsibility within a for profit business.
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You may be a strong fit if you are a:
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Founder or Co-Founder
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CEO or C Suite Executive
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Senior Business Leader
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Functional or Departmental Leader
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Leader responsible for a significant team, business unit, market, or stage of organizational growth
Purpose can take many forms
We welcome leaders who are building successful businesses while creating positive impact through one or more of the following:
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People: Building teams and workplaces where people can thrive.
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Place: Creating economic opportunity in communities that are often underserved.
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Planet: Embedding environmental sustainability into business strategy and operations.
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Product: Creating products or services that improve people's lives, particularly for lower and middle income communities
Commitment
Fellows should be able to:
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Commit approximately 2 hours per week to virtual sessions and Fellowship activities from January 18 to April 30, 2027.
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Participate consistently throughout the Fellowship.
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Travel to New York City for the in person Leadership Institute at NYU Stern from March 13 to March 20, 2027.
Values Alignment
We are looking for leaders who:
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Want to grow their companies without losing sight of their values and purpose.
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Are willing to reflect deeply on their own leadership, not only on what their teams or organizations need to change.
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Are curious about perspectives beyond their own industry, country, and professional experience.
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Value learning from peers as much as they value learning from faculty, practitioners, and coaches.
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Are willing to contribute their own experience, questions, and perspective to the cohort.
YOUR INVESTMENT
Invest in the Future, Not Only for Yourself, but for Your Team and Company.
As a nonprofit, Mountaintop works to make high quality executive leadership development as accessible as possible to purpose driven business leaders around the world.
Tuition
US$3,000 by January 10th, 2027
or
US$3,100 in two installments of US$1550 on January 10th, 2027 and February 10th, 2027
Tuition includes:
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The full virtual Fellowship experience
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The in person Leadership Institute at NYU Stern
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Executive coaching and Fellowship programming
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Participation in the NYU Stern Initiative on Purpose and Flourishing Annual Convening
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Breakfast, coffee, tea and lunch during the Leadership Institute
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A welcome dinner and closing dinner
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A joint certificate from Mountaintop International and the NYU Stern Initiative on Purpose and Flourishing
Fellows are responsible for:
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Accommodation in New York City
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Most dinners during the Leadership Institute
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Flights and other transportation
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Visa related expenses
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Personal travel costs
Mountaintop provides guidance and recommendations to help Fellows identify suitable accommodation options and plan their travel.
For Fellows traveling internationally, obtaining a U.S. visa is the responsibility of each Fellow. Mountaintop is not affiliated with the U.S. government and cannot guarantee visa approval. However, we support Fellows by providing official invitation letters, visa application guidance, interview preparation resources, and travel planning assistance.
Selected Fellows who are unable to obtain U.S. visas may be considered for other Mountaintop executive fellowship opportunities planned for 2027 in Europe and Africa, subject to program availability and eligibility.
Payment Information
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Bank transfers incur no processing fee.
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Card payments are subject to a 3% processing fee for U.S. issued cards and 5.75% for internationally issued cards.
Ways Fellows Typically Cover Tuition
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Employer sponsorship or professional development funds
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CSR, impact investing, or foundation support
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Personal or professional investment
TIMELINE
Seats are intentionally limited. Each cohort is kept small to create meaningful opportunities for learning, coaching, and relationships with peers.
SPONSOR A FELLOW
Invest in a Leader. Strengthen an Organization.
Leadership development rarely benefits only one person.
When a leader grows, that growth can influence how teams work,
how decisions are made, how organizations evolve, and how
people experience leadership around them.
Employers, companies, foundations, investors, partners, and
members of the Mountaintop community can support a business
leader by sponsoring their participation in the Fellowship.
Sponsoring a Fellow is an investment in the leader, the organization they serve, and the people their leadership reaches.
READY TO APPLY?
Your Next Stage of Leadership Starts Here
The Business Executive Fellowship is for leaders who are building
ambitious organizations and are equally committed to continuing
to grow themselves.
Join an international cohort of purpose driven business leaders
for 14 weeks of reflection, learning, coaching, community, and an
immersive Leadership Institute at NYU Stern in New York City.
Applications for the 2027 Business Executive Fellowship are open October 10 through November 25, 2026.
